Renowned motoring journalist James Taylor has sent me this photo of a IIA 1-Ton Land-Rover used as a mobile service school by British Leyland. The vehicle is OXC928J, built as a LHD but later converted to RHD. Chassis number is 22300037G.

129" Land-Rovers - what could have been...

An abortive attempt at a bigger Land-Rover from the early 1960s, which had spin-offs in the form of 2.5 litre and also turbocharged versions of the 2286 diesel engine. Only two survive, one at Dunsfold, the other at Gaydon. Vehicle number 1 was essentially just a bigger Land-Rover, intended to compete with the Dodge Power Wagon in middle-East oilfield markets. It was thought to have been built with a 3 litre petrol engine but at some point had a turbo version of the 2286 diesel. Prototype 2 onwards was a more resolved vehicle, with springs over the axles, and able to take up to 16.00x16 tyres! Many of these used the 3-litre six-cylinder car engine, which was found to not be suitable for use in such a heavy vehicle. The final prototype had a slightly different wing design and used a 2.5 litre engine with input from CAV for the fuel distribution pump. This vehicle still survives at Dunsfold. This is the other survivor at Gaydon. These were often called "1-Ton" Land-Rovers by the engineers, but were actually closer to 1 1/2 Ton vehicles.

Factory Photo

Factory photo of a Deep Bronze Green 1-Ton series III. The 900x16 tyres are obvious, as are the bonnet clips, long spring hangers and rear fuel tank. I am certain the chassis number was 266/51, despatched to 'Engineering Dept" at Rover.

Essex Fire Tender

I found this photo in an old copy of LRO which shows a 1-Ton Series III converted by HCB-Angus for Essex Fire Brigade. Chassis number was probably 267/48, 49 or 50. RHD Export chassis sequence. Does anyone know more?

Eastnor Castle Show 2012

Eastnor Castle show was the only opportunity in 2012 for the few remaining 1-Ton Land-Rovers to get together and but on a display.
I arrived on Friday afternoon after following a friend in his Series 1. I went straight onto our pitch and set up camp. A second 1-Ton (a series III) joined us on the Saturday morning, however by then all vehicles movements had been stopped due to heavy rain so my IIA was alone on the stand.
By Sunday however it had brightened up and dried out to some extent so we eventually had four vehicles on show. These were my IIA 1-Ton, two Series III 1-Tons and a Series III TACR-1 fire tender. We would have had more vehicles but one just missed an MOT appointment, and another two sadly couldn't make it.

Awaiting the off:


On the site:


A second one arrives...


Sunday:

Funds are needed to continue the restoration of a Series III 1-Ton.  If you can spare any amount to put towards the vehicle, this will help it to be preserved for future generations. 

Please click the donate button.  Thank you so much.

1-Ton 109" For sale

I was contacted recently by a gentleman selling a 1-Ton series III, details are as follow.


Hi , Im Neill from Cavendish Motors in Chesterfield, i just bought a LR to scrap, when i first looked at it i spotted a few clues as to it might be a 1ton. When i got it back to my place and checked it is, Series3 chassis no 26600120B, the chassis is shot, the bulkhead is shot, it has a nasty(unidentified)diesel in it, seats gone. It still has salisbury BOTH axles and the 1ton gearbox.  It seems a shame to scrap it if someone out there wants a resto challenge. picture attatched. you can phone me at work on 01246 231156. 
Cheers Neill

These don't come up for sale very often, even in this kind of condition, so my advice is if you want a 1-Ton, act now! It could be years before another one comes up for sale.

Just some more photos with the XS tyres fitted. They coped quite admirably on the mud on a local greenlane.

The Avon Traction Mileages fitted to SEB have been showing their age ever since they were fitted, so finally the opportunity was taken to fit some more modern rubber. A set of 900R16 Michelin XS tyres was spotted on ebay and bought a few weeks ago. The tyres are not new, but still have plenty of life left in them considering the "retirement milage" SEB does these days.

Today I took them down to the local ATS (They also supply tyres to Landrover at Gaydon!!) and had them fitted.

The MOT is due in a few weeks, and after that there will be a 1-Ton Register stand at Eastnor Castle show in August. 

Some new photos

Just as proof that the oldest 1-Ton still on the road really is still on the road. As part if BFHVC's "drive it day" I went and did a few miles locally.

Today I scored myself some much-needed rivet counter points by fitting the correct turned aluminuim screen washer jets, these were NOS items from seriespartsworldwide (http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/seriespartsworldwide/m.html)

All I had to do was make up some connectors using the old thicker pipe, as the pipe supplied (which is a translucent blue rather then clear) is a bit thinner. I didn't worry too much about it as I think the original pipe was supposed to be black anyway, not clear, which is possibly just a generic item. As a point of interest, my 1-ton uses a hand-operated fluid pump on the dashboard, not a fancy modern electric item!

The accouncement

The following document is, I think, the way Land-Rover announced the release of the 1-Ton to their customers. It is dated June 1969, by which time there were already a handful of 1-Tons a couple of months old. I apologise for the poor quality scan. Whats interesting is that Land-Rover claim to offer the vehicle with the 2286cc Petrol as well as the 2625cc six-cylinder petrol - we know of course that no 4-cylinders were built other than the special batch for the MOD (TACR1s)

Why are they almost always Land-Rovers?

"Back in the day" very often breakdown trucks were indeed Land-Rovers, and very often 1-Tons at that. This Land-Rover advertisment points out that fact. I have no details on the vehicle, its clearly not a UK numberplate and the company name does not bring anything up on a search. But I'm 99% certain this is a 1-Ton, possibly on its second or third lease of life by the time the photo was taken. If anyone has a larger scan I would be very interested in seeing it.

BNV745K

Superb photo of a IIA 1-Ton with East Midlands Electricity Board. Vehicle reg was BNV745K.

 

 

EMEB 1-Tons

EMEB only bought small batches of 1-Ton, I think they had six or possibly eight overall. They were apparently inspired by SEB who bought lots and lots of them! The EMEB vehicles were a mix of IIAs and Series IIIs. Unlike SEB, EMEB specified mechanical winches. IIA vehicles also had a compartment behind the cab door for a gas cylinder.

I love the 70s style colour scheme they wore.

ONV232M has survived into the present day. Other registration numbers were BRP104K, BRP105K, BNV745K, BNV746K and ONV231M.

Portuguese Fire Tenders

9 "proper" 1-Tons were sent to Portugal, as well as some CKD kits, and some vehicles on six-cylinder utility chassis numbers, but to 1-Ton spec. I think they are great and a few have survived into the current era.